CIA used mock executions etc.

[Letum]

Originally Posted by August

ultimately harmless mind games

There is a long list of conditions, such as PTSD, that are likely to arise from
such torture. Oftern they make the sufferer's life not worth living or lead
to suicide.

Workplace stress is sometimes enough to cripple a persons mind for life; let
alone the strain that the malice of an experienced torturer can place upon
someones mind when trying to 'break' them. It can very easily remove a
person's ability to function normally.

The magnitude of the effects of torture means it is certainly not 'harmless'.